The Super-Smart Home

Brendan and Devina Samis knew that their dream home didn’t exist—yet. Brendan, a software salesman and avowed techie, imagined a space so futuristic that it would still feel cutting-edge in 50 years. Devina, a manager at a tech company, was on board—so long as their new home didn’t look like a Star Trek set. To get it right, they decided to create it themselves.

In 2020, the couple bought a 1,200-square-foot corner bungalow in Etobicoke for just under $1 million and set aside another million to transform it into a stylish, state-of-the-art smart home. Their vision: a space brimming with ultra-modern tech concealed within sleek, timeless decor. “Neither my wife nor I are designers or builders,” says Brendan. “But we are problem solvers.”

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Some of the home’s high-tech features are quite practical—for example, a closet that’s actually an odourless self-cleaning kitty restroom. Others, like a bookshelf that swings open to reveal a tricked-out VR room, are pure whimsy. And some elements serve both fun and function, such as the house’s universal lighting system, which allows them to control their bulbs and blinds from a central panel.

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The renovations took about a year, during which Brendan and Devina also made some comparatively ho-hum additions, like a second storey that cantilevers over a backyard, bringing their home to 3,000 square feet. They moved in during the summer of 2022 and couldn’t be happier. “It wasn’t about just spending money,” says Brendan. “It was about creating a cool home.”